Platform operating means



Nov. 7, 1939. J 'WKES 2,178.879

PLATFORM OPERATING MEANS Filed Jul 31, 1956 mg Q lHlllIl Illll INJIIIIIII wines 5 6 7 John 1% y film/ W $5222.41

Patented Nov. 7, 1939 orsic PLATFORM OPERATING MEANS John J. Mikes, Cicero,

Ill., assignor of one-half to Edward E. Wagner, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 31,

1 Claim.

This invention relates to platform operating means, and has to do with means for operating the receiving platform of a printing press.

It is known to provide in conjunction with printing presses, particularly color presses, at the delivery end of the press a receiving frame and platform structure to which the printed sheets are delivered. This structure comprises a frame rectangular in plan and rotatably supporting, at

' each end, transverse countershafts from which the platform is suspended so as to be raised and lowered in accordance with the direction of rotation of the shafts. The countershafts have worm driving connections to a drive shaft rotatably supported lengthwise of the frame at one side thereof, this countershaft being used principally for lowering the loaded platform. A hand wheel, provided with a suitable handle, is secured upon one end of the drive shaft for manually rotating the latter. The platform, when loaded, frequently supports a stack of five thousand sheets or more, providing a load of considerable weight. Since the drive between the countershafts and the drive shaft is through worm gears, lowering of the platform, when loaded,

to the floor for removal by a hand truck requires considerable time and is quite laborious, soon tiring the operator.

My invention is directed to avoiding the above noted objections to the present practice and providing simple and efficient means whereby the loaded platform may be lowered at relatively high speed and with expedition and facility. A further objeetis to provide a power attachment 5 which may be readily applied to receiving frame and platform structures such as are commonly used without necessitating any changes in such structures and without in any way interfering with removal therefrom of a loaded platform. 0 Further objects and advantages of my inventio will appear from the detail description.

In the drawing; Figure l is a side View of a printing press of known type, shown fragmentarily and semidiagrammatically, with an associated receiving frame and platform structure having applied thereto the power attachment means of my invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary outer side view of a corner portion of the receiving frame and platform structure, on an enlarged scale, with the power attachment of my invention applied;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary end view of one corner portion of the receiving frame and platform structure with the power attachment of 1936, Serial No. 93,575

my invention applied thereto, on an enlarged scale;

Figure 4 is a section taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail view of the means for automatically lowering the platform at low speed, in the operation of the press.

I have illustrated my invention, by Way of example, as applied to a receiving frame and platform structure disposed at the delivery end of a printing press P. The press, shown fragmentarily and semi-diagrammatically, is made by the Miehle Printing Press & Manufacturing Company, of Chicago, Illinois, and is included in What is known asv the Miehle 46 Automatic Unit. It is of known construction and operation and need not be illustrated nor described in greater detail.

The receiving frame and platform structure, at the delivery end of the press, comprises a frame F of rectangular shape in plan, provided at each corner with a tubular upright or standard S. A countershaft 5 is rotatably supported at each end of :frame F, adjacent the top and transversely thereof. A ratchet wheel 6 is secured upon shaft 5, adjacent the outer side of frame F and is engaged by a pawl A mounted on a pin I secured through the web of a worm wheel 8 loose on shaft 5 at the outer side of ratchet wheel 6. Worm wheel 8 meshes with a Worm 9 secured on a drive shaft -lUj rotatably mounted at the outer side of frame .F adjacent the top thereof and extending lengthwise of the frame. It will be understood that each shaft 5, there being one at each end of frame F, is provided with a ratchet wheel 6 and associated pawl and a worm wheel 8 which meshes with worm 9 of drive shaft [0. The Worms 9 look worm wheels 8 against rotation when drive shaft Ill is not rotated, and the ratchet Wheel 6 and the associated pawls are so related as to hold the shafts 5 against rotation in platform lowering direction while permitting rotation of these shafts for raising the platform, as will be described presently.

Two sprocket wheels (not shown) are suitably mounted upon each of the countershaftsv 5 in a known manner and are enclosed in suitable housings l I. Chains l2 are trained over these sprocket wheels and are suitably secured, at their inner ends, to the ends of two supporting bars E3 of I-beam section. The chains are preferably provided, at their outer ends, with grips or handles I l of suitable shape. The chains and sprockets provide means for suspending the bars l3 from the countershafts 5 for raising and lowering thereby in-accordance with the direction of rotation thereof. A suitably shaped pin I5 is secured through each shaft 5, adjacent the outer face of worm wheel 8, and is adapted for engagement by a crank handle whereby shafts 5 may be rotated in appropriate direction for raising the bars [3. Ordinarily, however, particularly when the load supported by bars I3 is not appreciable, these bars are raised by pulling downward the outer runs of the chains l2.

A receiving platform l6, commonly formed of wood, rests upon the upper faces of bars l3 for support thereby. This platform receives the printed sheets of paper delivered from the press P, and in Figure l. a stack of such sheets, designated I1, is shown upon the platform H5.

The bars 13, and the platform l6 and stack H supported thereby, are automatically lowered at an appropriate rate, during the operation of the press, by what is commonly termed micrometer means. This micrometer means is known in the art, is of such character 'thatthedrive shaft it may be rotated manually for lowering the platform !6, after the desired number of sheets have been printed and delivered to the platform, and will be briefly desecribed presently. It is the common practice to provide a hand wheel secured upon the right hand end of drive shaft ill, as viewed from the outer side of frame F, for rotating the latter in proper direction for lowering the loaded platform it, as previously described. Loweringof the platform in this manner is laborious and time consuming. After the platform has been lowered to the floor, or into position adjacent the floor suitable for re moval of the loaded platform by means of a hand truck, a truck of known type is inserted through the ends of frame F beneath the loaded platform, which is then removed and replaced by an empty platform. It will be noted that the end of the frame is unobstructed for accommodating the truck and the loaded platform.

Guide rods l8 pass through the bars 53 and, at one end, hock around the standards 6 at the inner side of frame F for preventing end sway of bars !3 and platform I 5. The truck is,- of course, provided with a lifting member adapted for insertion beneath platform it above the rods IS.

The means for automatically lowering the platform during operation of the press above referred to, is shown fragmentarily in Figure 5 and is, in general, similar to the means disclosed in Patent No. 1,145,921, issued July 13, 1915, to Frank E. Rich. An angle lever bis rockably mounted on shaft at the left hand end thereof, as viewed from the side of frame F remote from press P. Lever b is disposed at the outer face of a ratchet wheel 0 secured uponshaft It; A pawl d, pivoted on arm I) of lever b engages ratchet wheel 0 for intermittently rotating the latter and shaft Ill. The other arm of lever b is connected by suitable linkage means a to the press P, in a known manner, for oscillating lever b during operation of the press,.thus turningshaft 29 step by step in platform lowering direction.

The frame F and the associated platform supporting and adjusting means so far described are known in the art and are not included in my invention except in so far as certain parts thereof cooperate with the power attachment with which my invention is particularly concerned. It is known to those skilled in the .art

that in stacking the sheets upon the platform I6 stacking fingers and associated mechanism, which occupy considerable space at the top of frame F, are employed. Further, no obstruction to either upward or downward movement of platform i6 is permissible. It is necessary, in providing a power drive for the drive shaft ill, to comply with these conditions.

In order to drive shaft It by power means I remove the usual hand wheel secured upon this shaft, previously referred to, and substitute therefor a spur gear wheel 20 secured upon shaft I!) at the right hand end thereof, viewing this shaft from the outer side of frame F, that is, from the side of this frame remote from the press P. Gear 20 meshes with a pinion secured upon shaft.22 of an electric motor 23 of suitable type. Motor'23 is secured upon a motor platform .24 provided with a depending reinforcing and, at one end, with a sleeve element 2?; cooperating with an opposed element 2'5 to'form a split sleeve clamp. Member 2f is provided with an extension .2'ia through which, and web element 25, extends a bolt 28 which screws through element 21a. This provides means effective for clamping the motor platform 2-1 to upright S with the motor gear wheel or pinion Z! in mesh withgear wheel'ZEl of drive shaft ill. Supporting the motor in this manner, upon the upright at the forward-right hand corner of frame F, provides a simple and direct drive to the drive shaft [0 and also disposes the motor 23 and associated parts in such manner that no obstruction is offered to raising and lowering of the platform It, and the adjacent end of frame F remains unobstructed for removal therethrough, by means of a suitable truck, of the loaded platform. Motor 23 has associated therewith a reversing switch-29 and a control switch 35, both of "nown type, conveniently supported by a suitable bracket 3| bolted or otherwise suitably secured to motor 23 and platform 24. The switches is and S9 are enclosed within suitable housings rigidly secured together in'a suitable manner, and are suitably attached, as by means of a'short nipple, to an outlet box 32 (Figure 3) which is suitably secured to bracket 3! and motorzt. Electrical energy is supplied to the motor, through the switches 29 and 30, froman electric cord 33, of known type, through appropriate connections. Cord 3t 'con tains the" usual conductors and is conveniently provided at its free end with a plug cap of known type not shown).

The motor 23 maybe used for driving the shaft It in either'direction for raising or lowering the platform I6; The platform, when empty, is relatively light and may be raised by means of the chains [2 and the countersh'afts'fi more rapidly than would be'possible by driving the shaft it from motor '23. For this reason, the main use of the motor23 is for driving the drive shaft ill in such direction asto drivethe countershafts in platform lowering direction. The motor provides means whereby'the shaft it may be driven at much higher speed than is possible when this shaft is rotated manually, in the manner previously described, thus avoiding the considerabletime and laborccnsumed in lowering the platform manually-whilerendering it possible to lower the loaded-platform of considerable weight at relatively high speed with facility. Aside from the labor saved in thus lowering the loaded platform, compared to lowering it manually, the saving in time is ail-important consideration in that it avoids any considerable delay in the operation of the press, which is of primary importance from the standpoint of production.

Preferably, the gears 2t and 25 are enclosed by a suitable guard 35 supported by a bracket 35 bolted to motor platform 24, as shown in Figure 1.

What I claim is:

In sheet receiving means intended for use at the delivery end of a printing press, a frame, two countershafts rotatably mounted adjacent the ends and transversely of said frame, a receiving platform, means suspending said platform from said shafts for raising and lowering thereof in accordance with the direction of rotation of said shafts, a drive shaft, a worm drive between said drive shaft and the respective countershafts for rotating the latter in either direction in accordance with the direction of rotation of said drive shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed to said drive shaft for turning it in platform lowering direction, a lever rockable about the axis of said drive shaft and adapted for connection to the printing press for oscillation. thereby incident to the operation thereof, a pawl carried by said lever cooperating with said ratchet wheel for turning said drive shaft in platform lowering direction incident to operation of the press, an electric motor, and operating connections between said motor and said drive shaft for optionally driving the latter at hi h speed in platform lowering direction and thereby lowering the platform at high speed under control of said motor.

J OHN J. MIKES. 

